My clients often have lives that look good, even enviable, from the outside. But internally they are struggling and battling with themselves. They keep looping into the same habitual responses, emotional patterns or addictions that they know don’t serve them and which damage their relationship with themselves and others.
For some, those patterns involve overt behaviors around food, alcohol, substances, work or exercise. For others the patterns on repeat look more emotional or relational. Getting easily triggered into anger or rage where you find yourself snapping at your spouse or shouting at your kids. Spiraling into, sometimes totally irrational, anxiety or panic around health. Falling into despair, depression or worthlessness because you don’t like the body you’re in or feel behind in your career or love life. Or shutting down and losing the ability to say something that needs to be said.
In some ways whether the symptom on the surface looks like a late night binge on food, or sending a slew of emotionally charged (and unhelpful) texts, it doesn’t matter. They’re all just versions of the same thing – an inability to tolerate what’s happening on the inside. And without that ability to self-regulate, it’s challenging to feel like there’s a solid foundation to our lives. It can seem like we’re on a never ending rollercoaster where life and relationships feel stressful, exhausting and lacking in joy and connection.
I know this because I’ve lived it. I’m Sabrina Weyeneth. I’m an Oxford educated, San Francisco trained, trauma informed licensed psychotherapist of over 20 years, specializing in anxiety, depression, disordered eating and relationship issues. I spent my teens appearing “fine” and performing academically whilst secretly struggling with a full-on eating disorder (bulimia) for a decade. I graduated from Oxford University as well as from rehab. I understand how difficult it is to make meaningful change when you don’t have the right help – the starting afresh on Monday morning, the trying this and then trying that, the failing, the frustration, the shame and the endless looping in circles.
A key part of healing our destructive patterns – whether it’s compulsive eating, compulsive shopping or compulsive anger – lies not in our intellectual capabilities but in our bodies. So many of us have unwittingly cut off from, or numbed, our bodies. Yet lasting change is only possible when we learn how to drop into, and tolerate, our physical sensations. To heal we need to discover how to open into the underlying pain or discomfort we’re often unconsciously running from. Otherwise we remain at the mercy of past trauma (big or small) that’s gotten etched or frozen into our bodies and our responses.
To do the work we also need to develop our witness capacity so we can track our mind, and our thinking, with a lot of awareness. Without developing that skill, where we truly recognize that thoughts are just thoughts, we’re likely to get stuck with bandaids and not heal issues at the root. Whilst the work is challenging, it is doable and the the upsides are immeasurable. We develop the capacity to actively choose how to respond in any situation and therefore get to sculpt a life and relationships that feel deeply meaningful and connected.
My training in depth psychology, EMDR, hypnotherapy and Imago Relationship Therapy – as well as a one year meditation retreat – allow me to integrate the very best of Western psychology with the most powerful mindfulness practices from the Eastern traditions.
I use a lot of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Depth Hypnosis in my sessions which helps reconnect us with the younger parts, feelings and sensations that have gotten split off or buried overs the years and therefore unconsciously dictate how we show up. I’m also completing a year long certificate in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy (training in Ketamine, MDMA and Psilocybin) by the Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI) and offer psychedelic preparation and integration.
I can help you do the deep work that’s needed to change. And I promise we’ll have some good laughs (and a few cries) along the way.
I love what I do. I offer one-on-one psychotherapy and coaching to adults and teens, as well as couples counseling. I also teach online courses which include group coaching. When I’m not working with clients, I’m busy practicing what I preach with my own two children and husband. I’m Swiss (the German speaking part), sound English (I was raised primarily in London) and have lived in Northern California for over a decade.
work with me
